By air
Puerto Jiménez (PJM) or Drake Bay (DRK), small planes from San José
North America · Costa Rica
Corcovado, Costa Rica
One of the most biodiverse places on earth
Getting there
Best time to visit
December to April — dry season
Don't miss
Corcovado National Park
Sirena
Drake Bay
Isla del Caño
Things to do
Guided hikes to Sirena station
Tapir and monkey spotting
Whale watching
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: rob Stoeltje from loenen, netherlands · CC BY 2.0
What to pack
Hiking boots, rain gear
A quieter corner
Matapalo's quiet beaches
Questions travellers ask
When is Corcovado's dry season?
December to April. Bring hiking boots and rain gear.
How do I get to Corcovado?
Small planes fly from San José to Puerto Jiménez (PJM) or Drake Bay (DRK).
What can I see in Corcovado?
Take a guided hike to Sirena station, go tapir and monkey spotting, and try whale watching. Drake Bay and Isla del Caño are also on the list.
Where are the quiet beaches near Corcovado?
Matapalo's quiet beaches are the hidden gem. For food, look for local casados.
About Corcovado
- Forest
- Coastal
Where it is
Corcovado National Park covers much of the Osa Peninsula on the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, in Puntarenas province, where lowland rainforest meets long, empty beaches; Drake Bay and Puerto Jiménez are its gateways.
History
The Osa Peninsula was home to Indigenous peoples and later drew loggers and gold miners. Corcovado National Park was created in 1975 to protect the forest, and the gold panners who had moved into the park, about a thousand of them by 1986, were then moved out.
People
The Osa Peninsula is thinly populated, and its small towns and villages live from fishing, farming, guiding and eco-lodges; many older families once panned for gold in its rivers. Spanish is the main language, and the Ngäbe (Guaymí) people have an Indigenous territory on the peninsula.
Known for
- Baird's tapirs and jaguars
- Scarlet macaws
- The Sirena ranger station
- Drake Bay and Isla del Caño
- Guided rainforest treks
Did you know?
All four of Costa Rica's monkey species live in Corcovado: the mantled howler, Geoffroy's spider monkey, the white-faced capuchin and the endangered Central American squirrel monkey.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.